διὸ καὶ φιλοτιμούμεθα, εἴτε ἐνδημοῦντες εἴτε ἐκδημοῦντες, εὐάρεστοι αὐτῷ εἶναι. (2 Corinthians 5:9)
Living to Please the Unseen Judge
This verse unfolds Paul’s deepest drive: the desire to be found pleasing to the Lord, whether in life or death, presence or absence. The syntax is deliberate, layered with participial motion and verb-subject dynamics that reveal a life of holy ambition grounded in eschatological accountability.
This study explores:
- The middle voice nuance of φιλοτιμούμεθα as sacred ambition
- The syntactic pairing εἴτε ἐνδημοῦντες εἴτε ἐκδημοῦντες as a rhetorical balance
- The infinitival purpose clause εὐάρεστοι αὐτῷ εἶναι and its theological force
φιλοτιμούμεθα – Holy Aspiration in the Middle Voice
The central verb φιλοτιμούμεθα comes from φιλοτιμέομαι, meaning “to aspire,” “to strive eagerly,” or “to consider it an honor.” It is used here in the present middle indicative, 1st person plural.
Grammatical Insight:
- φιλοτιμούμεθα – present middle indicative, continuous action
- The middle voice shows personal engagement and internal motivation—Paul is not just doing something; he is personally invested in doing it
This is not ambition for reputation, but for eternal approval. The verb embodies a paradox: sacred striving—ambition directed not toward self, but toward God’s pleasure.
εἴτε ἐνδημοῦντες εἴτε ἐκδημοῦντες – Wherever We Are
Paul balances two participles with rhetorical symmetry:
- ἐνδημοῦντες – “being at home (in the body)”
- ἐκδημοῦντες – “being away (from the body)”
Form and Function:
- Both are present active participles, nominative masculine plural
- They function adverbially, modifying the main verb φιλοτιμούμεθα
- The repeated εἴτε… εἴτε structure creates a rhetorical inclusio: “in life or in death,” “in presence or absence”
Paul affirms that context does not change calling. Whether he is living in this earthly tent or has departed to be with Christ, the goal remains: pleasing God.
εὐάρεστοι αὐτῷ εἶναι – To Be Pleasing to Him
The clause εὐάρεστοι αὐτῷ εἶναι functions as a purpose infinitive. It explains why Paul and his companions strive.
Structural Note:
- εὐάρεστοι – predicate adjective, plural, “pleasing”
- εἶναι – present infinitive of εἰμί, “to be”
- αὐτῷ – dative of reference, “to Him”
This clause gives the telos—the final aim—of Paul’s entire life: not success, survival, or comfort, but to be pleasing to the Lord. The infinitive construction brings a tone of purpose and persistence.
Grammatical Harmony in Sacred Ambition
| Greek Expression | Grammatical Form | Theological Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| φιλοτιμούμεθα | Present middle indicative | Holy aspiration fueled by inner desire to honor God |
| εἴτε ἐνδημοῦντες εἴτε ἐκδημοῦντες | Parallel participles | Commitment through all conditions: life or death, presence or absence |
| εὐάρεστοι αὐτῷ εἶναι | Infinitival purpose clause | Final goal of existence: pleasing the Lord |
The Aim That Transcends Circumstance
Paul’s Greek here doesn’t shout—it strives. The imperfective present tense, the careful participial framing, the middle voice—all of it pulses with sacred resolve. The grammar reveals the soul: ambition not for gain, but for approval before the unseen God.
He does not say, “We want to succeed,” or “We want to survive.” He says, We aspire to be pleasing—whether we are here or there, now or then. Whether walking on earth or entering glory, the aim is unchanged.
This is what Koine Greek does at its best: it takes deep theological conviction and expresses it through sustained grammatical movement. And in this verse, it marches toward one ambition alone: that we may be found pleasing to Him.
